A delegation of educators from Pishin, Balochistan, including its district officer education along with principals and teachers of different schools and madaris (religious education institutions) of the district, visited IPS in an exposure trip organized by Balochistan Rural Support Program (BRSP) on August 12, 2015.

Madaris have been the focus of Western media in general and the intelligentsia’s attention in particular since the last over three decades. This focus has intensified after 9/11. Madaris are now openly linked to terrorism and reforms are thus demanded as the only viable option if these institutions are there to stay.

In recent times, various international and regional developments have put the religious educational institutions (REIs) of Pakistan in the limelight. Think-tanks, scholars, the media, NGOs and above all the policy makers have started focusing their attention on them. What sort of people are coming out from these institutions?

As the Western tradition has not been able to find a stable basis for its aims of education, the question is can a practical alternative system be developed that is rooted in transcendental rather than relative values and upon ends, not means?

The book “Pakistan main Deeni Taleem” (Religious Education in Pakistan: Past, Present and Developing Scenario) consists of a synthesis of papers and discussions appeared in these meetings and presents a comprehensive approach towards the issue at hand.

This article reviews these crisis and reasons behind them. It also argues that the weaknesses of the prevailing interest-based financial system create a strong rationale for introducing a new system of the international finance. The article also dilates on the principles of Islamic banking which deter interest and introduce in its place the principle of risk/reward-sharing. Financing through the Islamic modes expands in tandem with the real economy and help curb excessive credit expansion which leads to lavishness and contributes to the instability in the international financial markets.